|
|
|
What about Palm? (Not the device maker) |
|
At a show awash with skinny, slick handsets that do music, video, GPS, Wi-Fi, and TV, Palm's Treos were definitely showing their age. But with Palm's finances in disarray, who knows when or if the Treo can play catch-up with all the smartphones out there. Even more sadly (for those of us who still have a gaggle of pet Palm apps), the Palm OS itself is clearly an endangered species.
Access, the Japanese company that bought Palmsource--the Palm spinoff that owned the operating system--is the best hope for Palm OS aficionados seeking a platform that will run legacy Palm apps. The company last month announced the availability of the Access Linux Platform, a completely new OS that will not only run Palm apps (through an emulator of the last Palm OS release), but will support Java and Linux applications as well.
Access met with reporters at CTIA Wireless 2007, but mostly only to remind people that it has a solid software legacy of its own, having contributed to devices as diverse as Sony's LocationFree TV, video game consoles, and literally dozens of cell phones.
The question is, are hardware vendors going to buy into Access? Will there be a Treo based on the Access Linux Platform? It usually takes a year or so for device makers to design for a new platform, and it's unclear that Palm can wait that long. But although Palm has exclusive rights to the brand name--the most Access can do to educate potential buyers is to say that its platform is compatible with Palm apps--Palm does not have exclusive rights to the Access Linux Platform.
Access also has a list of companies--including carriers--that have announced support for the platform, whatever that means short of creating devices. It remains to be seen whether other vendors will step up to the plate.
Submitted Date: Mar 29, 2007
Source: PC World
|
|
Suggestion about this article.
Report this article
|
|
|
|
News, Articles and Press Releases |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
